Limited Funding Could Hamper Government Broadband Plans, Says Expert

The government will have to overcome a lack of funding if the UK is to have the best super-fast broadband in Europe, an expert has claimed.

Chief executive of the Broadband Stakeholder Group (BSG) Antony Walker has said that the government will struggle to meet its target of having Europe’s best super-fast broadband by 2015 with the limited amount of public funds available without innovative solutions.

The coalition government has already pledged £830 million toward the project, aiming to install a digital hub providing at least 2Mbps download speed to every community by the end of parliament. But Walker believes that this alone will not be enough.

“How do you achieve that target whilst also entering a situation where there's very constrained public spending?” Walker asked.

"We're not in a situation where the government can throw vast amounts of money at this,” he explained. “So it's about finding smart solutions."

The comments come after a poll by Broadband Expert found that only five per cent of Brits believe that the coalition will deliver on its promise and provide the UK with the best broadband network in Europe.